Long before Jerome Block Jr.’s third arrest for violating the conditions of his drug court program, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission had problems. In 2007, former Commissioner David King was convicted of sexually harassing his assistant; in 2008, Block and his father, Jerome Block Sr., faced allegations of election violations; in 2009, former Commissioner Carol Sloan attacked a rival with a rock.

Randal Peifer has been using St. Elizabeth Shelter for the past 20 years, about as long as he’s been homeless. He lives just feet away from the shelter near the back lot of a gas station. He sleeps under trees and bushes with a blanket and newspapers to keep him warm at night.

After City Councilor Patti Bushee kept hearing horror stories involving drug deals, burglary and loitering from her constituents, she decided to hold a public meeting about it. Roughly 40 people, including cops, showed up to the Sept. 12 meeting, which focused on crime near the Railyard [news, Sept. 14, “Relapse”].

This summer, Block’s life began to unravel again with another series of absurd, but completely plausible, allegations of malfeasance. Of them, the most disgusting is evidence indicating Block may have improperly charged thousands of dollars to government credit cards.

The 1st Judicial District encompasses Santa Fe County and Rio Arriba County, which has the highest per capita heroin overdose rate in the nation. District Judge Stephen Pfeffer says most of the drug-related search warrants he issues occur in Rio Arriba County. He says he signs roughly two drug-related warrants a month.

Declining revenues and rising costs have put the prison in financial trouble. Some officials say the county can’t handle the expense, and they’ve proposed a solution: return the jail’s medical care to private management.

Two months ago, Attorney General Gary King indicted Joseph and Catherine Hernandez of Medicaid fraud with charges that would require them to pay around $78,600 back to the state.

A look at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center’s financial disclosures throws doubt on the hospital’s claims of being under-reimbursed for providing indigent health care.